If you often take your dogs for a walk, seeing your dogs snatch some pine cones off the ground might be a common scenario. And while pine cones might seem like a great toy, allowing your dogs to chew on them can actually have several adverse effects on their health and wellness.
As a pet owner, you should never allow your dogs to chew or eat pine cones. Pine cones are bad for your four-legged friends because of the following reasons:
Dogs Can’t Easily Digest Pine Cones
Pine cones are naturally tough and hard to break. This is one of the reasons why your dogs love to chew them. However, when dogs eat and chew the pine cones, problems can arise. Pine cones aren’t easy to digest for dogs and can cause an upset stomach.
Pine Cones Can Damage Your Dog’s Mouth, Throat, And Stomach
If you’re ever wondering if pine cones are bad for dogs to chew on, the answer is: yes. Pine cones have sharp scales or edges that can cause cuts to your dogs’ lips, tongue, and mouth.
As your dogs continue to play or chew on the pine cones, the scales eventually become splinters. Once these are swallowed, the splinters can cut or even pierce your dog’s throat, stomach, and intestines. This can trigger internal bleeding and will require expensive surgery for treatment.
Pine Cones Are Choking Hazards
Given that pine cones are difficult to chew and swallow, they can also become a choking hazard to your dogs. This is especially true for puppies and other small breeds. If you don’t know the Heimlich maneuver, your dogs can die from attempting to chew pine cones.
Pine Oil Or Sap Can Trigger Gastrointestinal Irritation
Pine cones are from pine trees and might have pine needles attached to them. Pine trees and pine needles naturally produce pine oil or sap that can have adverse effects on your dogs’ health.
When ingested, pine oil can cause mild stomach irritation in dogs. In extreme cases, pine oil or sap can also cause issues in your dogs’ nervous system and trigger depression.
Pine Cones Can Cause Intestinal Blockages
Aside from causing an upset stomach and symptoms of gastrointestinal upset to your canine friends, eating pine cones can also lead to intestinal blockages in dogs. This can eventually cause bowel obstruction, coupled with several symptoms, like repetitive vomiting, abdominal pain, and whining. Dogs might also experience bloating, dehydration, and watery diarrhea.
Pine Cones Might Cause Allergic Reactions
Dogs’ bodies are different, which means their level of food tolerances vary. While some dogs can tolerate the pine oil or sap in their bodies, others can be highly sensitive to it. If your dogs belong to the latter, they might experience allergic reactions if they chew or eat pine cones.
Pine Cones Might Contain Pesticides
Pine cones grown in farms are often maintained using fertilizers or pesticides. Both of these products are harmful to your dogs’ health and cause irritation, diarrhea, and excessive drooling.
How Can You Stop Your Dogs From Eating Pine Cones?
One of the best ways to prevent your dogs from eating pine cones is to divert their attention whenever you’re outside. When going on walks, bring their favorite toy, so they won’t be tempted to sniff around and chew on pine cones. You should also train them not to touch or eat things lying on the ground. Training your dogs will take time and effort, but the results will be worth it.
Choosing pine-free pathways during walks can also ensure that your dogs won’t chew and eat pine cones. Do a quick search online to determine which areas around your home are dog-friendly and free of pine trees.
What Symptoms Should You Look Out For?
Not all dogs will develop symptoms after chewing or eating pine cones, especially if they only played with one. However, if your dogs exhibit any of the symptoms listed below, it’s best to take them to the vet right away:
- Coughing
- Drooling
- Excessive thirst and/or urination
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Trouble breathing and/or walking
What Types Of Treats Can Dogs Safely Chew On?
Dogs love to chew for different reasons: they do it for fun, mental stimulation, or relieving anxiety. Since pine cones are hazardous for your dogs, it’s best to give them the following foods to chew on:
Apples
Apples are crunchy snacks for your dogs, packed with different vitamins and minerals. Apples are full of fiber that can improve your dogs’ digestion and antioxidants that protect your dogs against free-radical damage.
Carrots
Another healthy treat your dogs can have are carrots. This vegetable is rich in different nutrients, like beta-carotene and fiber, which can protect your dogs from common illnesses and diseases. Studies also show that consuming yellow-orange vegetables (such as carrots) can slow the development or prevent the occurrence of transitional cell carcinoma in dogs.
Celery
Celery is a crunchy vegetable that offers vitamins A, B, and C to your dogs. All of these play an important role in improving your dogs’ immune system and making sure that they remain healthy for years.
Cucumber
Cucumber is a low-calorie snack loaded with several nutrients, such as biotin, copper, and magnesium. Thanks to their high water content (about 96%), feeding your dogs with cucumber can also aid with hydration.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is an excellent source of beta-carotene —one type of antioxidant that contains vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. Feeding pumpkins to your furry friends can also treat diarrhea and constipation.
Reach Out To A Vet
If you have questions about pine cones — why they’re hazardous for dogs and how you can prevent your dogs from playing with them — talk to a vet immediately. This is especially important if you’re a first-time pet owner. Asking a vet for pieces of advice will make it very easy for you to keep your dogs safe from pine cones!